Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories That Cover All The Bases

Written by a starting line-up of your favorite authors, including Jerry Spinelli, Ron Koertge, and John H. Ritter.

This book is for anyone, boy or girl, that has ever stood in the outfield praying that the ball wouldn't come that far, shook with sweaty fear standing in the batter's box, or dreamed of hearing cheering crowds out on the diamond. Each story features a trading card that covers personal bits about the author including BBI's (Books Batted In.) J BAS

as if being 12 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president!

By Donna Gephart

Vanessa's mother is running for president , and it is ruining her life. Reporters are snapping pictures of her at awkward moments -- when she is tripping and falling on her face, or when her secret crush is exposed. And her mother is so caught up in campaigning that she forgets to show up at important events like the County Spelling Bee. Doesn't her Mom understand that Vanessa needs her way more than the country does? And how can Vanessa be sure that her Mom will stay safe?

If you think that it is glamorous having a parent who's running for office -- read this!

No Castles Here

By A.C.E. Bauer

When you're in sixth grade in a school plunked down in a neighborhood that hosts gangs and drug dealers you have to watch yourself. Keeping your head down and trying not to attract a lot of attention to yourself works – but Augie runs out of luck when he is caught walking home from a bookstore carrying a book of fairy tales. Then his mother, who worries, signs him up for the Big Brothers program, and his Big Brother turns out to be gay. When he tries to hide out at school, he finds himself forced to try out for the school chorus. Could things get any worse? They could – when the school district decides to shut down Augie’s school, and send everyone across town to random locations. Augie has had enough! Can a (as he describes himself) “scrawny loser” make a difference in the world? Can an enchanted book teach him how to change his life?

You’ll be cheering Augie on before this book is through!

Regarding the Fountain

by Kate Klise

The Dry Creek Middle School needs a new drinking fountain, so Principal Walter Russ request bids from Flowing Waters Fountain, Etc. "We need a new drinking fountain, please send catalog." But Flo Waters, the artist/owner of the fountain company doesn't do ordinary fountains. So she starts sending return letters asking for suggestions about the design and uses of the fountain. Principal Walter Russ does not think this is appropriate, but Mr. Sam N's fifth grade class is ready to send their imaginative ideas to Flo Waters, "big enough to splash in. . .dispenses root beer."

The very funny letters that travel back and forth would make a great read -- but you should also know that while all this writing back and forth is happening a great mystery is also waiting to be exposed. Will Dry Creek Middle School ever get their fountain?

Amulet Book One: The Stonekeeper

by Kazu Kibuishi

A tragic accident finds the family in this graphic novel forced into moving to an old ancestral home. Quickly the daughter finds herself the owner of a unique amulet. But, can she control the powers of this necklace well enough to save her family from the mysterious creatures that dwell in the house? Action-packed and thick with unforgettable mechanical characters that assist in the fight for survival, this book is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Will the amulet save them -- and does it really have the power to turn back time? Just a warning, this is Book One. You'll be watching for the sequel!